Fishing and Hunting 82, Starting with Three Sisters Who Overprotect Their Brothers

"Why did you buy meat?"

Zhang Jianshe pushed open the door, and the aroma of meat wafted out from the stove.

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily a few times.

"Your son is being filial to you!" Xu Xiulian said first, her voice tinged with pride.

"You think you're so great just because you've made a little money!" Zhang Jianshe scolded, but the wrinkles on his face softened considerably, and his voice revealed a hint of excitement.

"Dad, this is candy from my uncle."

My little nephew was picked up by my brother-in-law, holding the red and white candy wrapper with a deer printed on it high in his hand, and he spoke in a clear voice.

His face was flushed with excitement, and he couldn't wait to share his joy.

The brother-in-law was taken aback at first, then looked at Zhang Wenshan with surprise and gratitude in his eyes.

"Everyone gets a share, everyone should try it."

Zhang Wenshan chuckled and took out the remaining candies from his pocket, distributing them one by one.

In summer, engaging in heavy physical labor will cause the body to deplete its sugar reserves very quickly.

Moreover, the intelligence system also said that the high temperatures would continue for the next few days.

It's always good to be prepared.

The eldest sister and brother-in-law held the candy without touching it, while the father waved his hand dismissively, saying, "What's the point of eating it? It's too sweet!"

Zhang Wenshan didn't press the matter, and instead took out Yingchun from his pocket and handed it over: "What about this one?"

The older generation endured hardship, scrimping and saving, so changing their circumstances wasn't easy for them.

The seemingly casual remark about the economic boom of the 1980s in the book was nothing short of earth-shattering for them.

"My god, why did I buy this thing? It's ridiculously expensive."

Zhang Jianshe saw the cigarette, instinctively reached out, then quickly pulled back, wiped it on his pants twice, and then carefully took it.

He carefully held the cigarette box in his hands, which were covered in thick calluses.

Rough fingers stroked the packaging as if holding some precious treasure.

"It's good stuff."

He gently pulled out a cigarette, held it to his nose, and took a deep sniff, his face showing an almost intoxicated expression.

I was just about to put it back.

With a snap.

A flash of light appeared before my eyes, and I held the match to the smoke.

"Wow! This is burning money!"

"We bought it to smoke, didn't we?" Zhang Wenshan said with a smile, handing another one to his brother-in-law and lighting one for himself.

To be honest, cigarettes without filters are just so-so.

Without the enhancement of later perfumery techniques, it has a pure tobacco scent, strong and with an earthy aroma.

Seeing his father and brother-in-law squinting from smoking, he shook his head, took out another pack of Yingchun cigarettes, and handed it to his brother-in-law.

"You bought two packs?" Zhang Jianshe's eyes widened in surprise, the smoke choking him and making his face turn red from coughing. "Wasteful!"

The brother-in-law waved his hand, indicating that he didn't want to.

Zhang Jianshe quickly added, "Keep it for yourself. If you sell things in town, you'll inevitably have to do favors."

"It's alright, I have this." Zhang Wenshan calmly took out a Daqianmen cigarette from his pocket and waved it in his hand.

"Does he think he's some kind of official?" Zhang Jianshe immediately became agitated. "Smoking such good cigarettes?"

"Spend your son's money however you want. If you don't give him something nice when you're trying to curry favor, who will help you?" Xu Xiulian shouted, holding a plate. "Hurry up and clean up, let's eat."

The group dared not say another word and quickly moved aside.

Soon a table full of dishes was laid out around the braised pork with green beans.

It was shiny and fragrant.

All sounds stopped instantly, leaving only the rustling of people eating.

"I bought two pounds, don't be stingy, it'll go bad if we can't finish it."

Seeing that everyone was eating very quickly, with only a few pieces of meat and focusing more on the green beans, Zhang Wenshan couldn't help but remind them.

I also brought a big piece for my little nephew.

"How are you going to work in the fields this afternoon if you're so full?" Zhang Jianshe glared at him, but his tone softened considerably. "You think you can be so extravagant just because you earn a little money?"

You can't be indebted to someone just because they've eaten your food; even your own son is no exception.

Zhang Wenshan was taken aback, he really hadn't thought of that. He touched his nose sheepishly and cleverly changed the subject: "Big sister, give Dad a breakdown of the accounts."

"Okay, sure!"

Zhang Fengxia quickly put down her chopsticks, took out a handful of neatly folded change from her pocket, and carefully counted it one by one.

"The fish sold for sixteen dollars... After deducting the cost of shopping, I now have... four dollars and seventy-two cents left."

Sixteen yuan!

When the number was announced, the room fell silent instantly, as if the air itself had frozen.

Even though I knew yesterday that there was a business selling it for five yuan a pound, it was still just a figment of my imagination.

Now, the money and goods are right in front of me.

Zhang Fengxia looked at her younger brother somewhat uneasily: "I... I miscalculated?"

"No, not at all." Zhang Wenshan gave a thumbs up in encouragement.

"It cost a little over eleven yuan?"

"Yes, three pieces have been returned to Sister Wu at the state-run restaurant. She shared some news with us."

"Oh dear, isn't this a bit too much?" Zhang Jianshe scratched his head, asking a question similar to his older sister's.

"The fish can be sold for a good price entirely thanks to other people's help," Xu Xiulian chimed in from the side.

"Yes, yes, they even gave us a message..." Zhang Fengxia chimed in, only to be glared at by her mother. She quickly shut up, but it was too late.

"What news?"

"The supply and marketing cooperative buys river crabs and shrimp," Zhang Wenshan said frankly.

"Impossible!" Zhang Jianshe shook his head vigorously. "There's never been such a rule! You haven't been tricked!"

As he spoke, his gaze sharpened as he looked at his eldest daughter. "You didn't make up a story for him, did you?"

These words were barbed, and the atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted to freezing point, with everyone's faces turning grim.

Xu Xiulian sighed and explained, "Don't blame your father for being overly concerned; he's afraid you'll go back to your old ways."

"I swear, it's true!" Zhang Fengxia raised her hand anxiously. "Sister Wu did say that, and Lao Si and I also went to the supply and marketing cooperative to ask."

They really do have river crabs displayed in their counter.

Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, until it was almost inaudible.

"Hey, why didn't you stop him from ordering?"

Zhang Jianshe slapped his thigh, his face full of regret.

"Only those with connections can get in; it's not up to us ordinary folks. All our money has gone down the drain."

Zhang Wenshan frowned slightly and took over the conversation: "Dad, don't blame my eldest sister, it was my idea."

"You think she wasn't talking about you? Don't you even think before you act?" Zhang Jianshe immediately turned his attention to her. "Which ditch doesn't have these kinds of things? Anyone can get some. Are you trying to impress me?"

"Alright!" Xu Xiulian tried to smooth things over again. "If the supply and marketing cooperative won't buy it, can't we just eat it ourselves? Besides, the wire and stuff we bought will always be useful, so we won't lose out!"

She tried to give her son a way out.

"I'm afraid people will talk behind my back." Zhang Jianshe rubbed his tired face, looking worried. "Our family still owes the team for grain, and there's still no sign of the Hama Pond thing."

We've already had meat twice in our family. If something goes wrong, how will the fourth son face the world?

How do I get married?

"Father, don't worry," Zhang Wenshan said calmly. "Even if the shrimp and crab don't work, we still have the fine-scaled fish as a backup, right?"

He didn't mention any foreign trade orders, but rather focused on long-term planning and winning through quality.

These things are too distant and too unreal for farmers who have spent their entire lives toiling in the land.

It's not that they lack foresight; they can only see the immediate benefits.

The conditions are not met.

In the days when you needed a permit or certificate to travel far from home, many people never even went to their town in their entire lives.

Zhang Jianshe's expression softened slightly. "Is that two yuan guaranteed?"

"Even if we only sell it for one dollar, we'll still make a profit, right?"

"That's right, my eldest son and I will come back early in the evening to weave cages to catch fish."

"Father, that place can't hold too many cages." Zhang Wenshan smiled helplessly, then solemnly instructed, "You absolutely mustn't tell anyone about the fine-scaled fish..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Jianshe interrupted him impatiently: "In our family, you're the one with the biggest mouth. Even Qiangzi is more tight-lipped than you."